Darwin's Hawk Moth Print

Hand drawn colored pencil illustration.

Giclee printed on 100% cotton fibre, 290 gsm acid-free, conservation grade, Italian-milled fine art paper. 

My former boss at the California Academy of Sciences was an orchid-lover. He had one in particular on his desk that he always got so excited about when he was able to get it to bloom: the star orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale). He loved to tell the story of how Charles Darwin, while traveling in Madagascar, observed the star orchid's extraordinarily long nectar spur — with nectar hidden all the way at the bottom — and hypothesised that there must be a moth or butterfly with a 12-inch proboscis capable of reaching it. Alfred Russel Wallace was so taken with this idea that he even drew up a "wanted" poster for this mystery lepidopteran. Years later, and sadly after Charles Darwin's death, the enigmatic sphinx moth (Xanthopan morganii) was found. Because of their unique coevolution, this moth from Madagascar is the only creature on earth capable of pollinating the star orchid — a reminder of the fragility and interconnectedness of the natural world.